


stepping stones

by 10softbot



Series: our season [3]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Developing Friendships, M/M, Summer Camp
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-06
Updated: 2019-10-06
Packaged: 2020-11-26 05:53:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20925224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/10softbot/pseuds/10softbot
Summary: Summer camp only lasts a weekend, but the acceptance Donghyuck and Mark find in their new friends will last a lifetime.





	stepping stones

**Author's Note:**

> in which we meet the rest of the kids and witness the birth of their little club. i love my family and their found family.  
reading part 1 of the series is advisable so you can get the gist of the dynamics going on in this fic.  
do not repost without permission.

“Donghyuck, what’s taking you so long?”

His father’s voice comes booming from downstairs, and he tries to make quick work of shoving the rest of his belongings into his backpack. He knows he is overpacking when the zipper won’t close but he can’t possibly take anything else out.

“I’m coming!” he lets them know with a yell back, taking just another minute to look around and make sure he isn’t forgetting anything. He grabs his phone off the bedside table and yanks his charger off the plug on the wall next to his bed, shoving it into the front pocket of his back and his phone on the back pocket of his shorts.

There is a soft knock on his door, and he turns around just in time to see the door open. His dad is leaning against the frame, a soft smile on his lips and arms crossed over his chest.

“Are you ready, buddy?” Taeil is ever so calm and patient but Donghyuck knows he is trying to rush him. “Your father is tired of waiting.”

“Can you tell him I’ll be down in a second?” he brushes his way past him and towards the bathroom. “I just need to grab a couple more stuff.

“Alright. Johnny!” Donghyuck snorts when his dad yells to the stairs, unmoving from his spot. “He said he’s coming in a second!”

“Okay!” Johnny yells back, the sound of his keys echoing through the house.

Donghyuck grabs his toothbrush and toothpaste, as well as a fresh pack of tissues from the cabinet under the sink. He considers also grabbing a pack of antibacterial wipes, and before he can change his mind he shoves it into his backpack as well.

“Don’t you think it’s enough?” Taeil’s voice comes from right behind him, scaring the life out of him and making him hit his head on the sink. “It’s just three days.”

“You’re the adult here,” he whines, rubbing the sore spot on his head. “You shouldn’t be telling me to underpack.”

Taeil pulls his hand away from his head and replaces it with his own, gently rubbing the spot before placing a gentle kiss over it. “I’m not, but I think we’ve got enough. You can’t even close it anymore. Let’s go.”

He makes his way downstairs with Taeil right on his heels, urging him to walk faster because they have been waiting for way too long. He doesn’t know how his dads manage to look this awake at eight in the morning. Johnny is waiting for them by the open front door, a bright smile on his lips.

He gives Donghyuck a thumbs up and Donghyuck gives him two back, laughing when his father pulls him in by the strap of his backpack and messes with his hair.

“Have you checked up on Mark?” Johnny asks, pushing him out of the house and towards the car.

“Oh shit–”

“Language!”

“I mean, oh no.” Taeil snorts at him. “Let me–” he quickly dials Mark’s number, getting into the backseat of their car as his fathers settle on the front. Mark quickly picks up. “Hey, Lee Mark, are you ready to go?” He flashes them a smile and another thumbs up through the mirror. Johnny starts the engine.

_“Yeah, man. My mom woke me up at, like, six.”_ There is the sound of a zipper closing, and Donghyuck thinks he can hear Mark’s mom talking in the background. _“You guys coming?”_

“On our way already, we’ll be there in ten.”

They hang up and Donghyuck tries to relax in the backseat of their car, despite excitement buzzing through his body with every second that passes. He loves his dads, he really does, but the premise of spending an entire weekend away from them and with other people his own age is just too good.

“At least pretend you’re not so excited to be away from us,” Johnny tells him, no real heat to his words, and when he looks up from his phone to the rear-view mirror he finds his father smiling at him. “And stop kicking my seat.”

“Sorry,” he offers a weak smile, pulling his legs up on his seat and tucking them under his body.

Taeil turns to him, a small smile of his own on his lips. “Are you sure you’re gonna be okay?”

“_Dad,_” he drags out the word, whining. “I’m not a little kid anymore! I’m in high school now! I’m fifteen!”

“Okay, mister know-it-all, first of all calm down.” Taeil gives him a stern look. “Don’t go acting like you’re a whole ass adult when you’re not.”

“Sorry,” he mumbles, looking down at his hands as his fingers toy with the hem of his shorts.

“We worry about you, okay?” Taeil turns on his seat and reaches back for him, placing a hand on his knee. Donghyuck places his own over it, squeezing it gently. “You’ll always be our baby and we’ll never stop worrying about you. You’ll be forty and with your own kids and we’ll still worry about you.”

“Don’t hesitate to call us if anything happens, okay?” Johnny is looking at him through the mirror again and he gives him a nod, earning a hand squeeze from Taeil. “We can come pick you up anytime you want.”

“Everything will be fine,” he reassures his dads, offering the both of them the best smile he can muster. “I promise to call if anything happens, but it won’t be necessary. You’ll see.”

They make a turn and Donghyuck immediately realizes they have already made it to Mark’s street, just as his father starts pulling the windows down. It feels good to have fresh air fanning his face like this, and he almost bounces in his seat as he sees Mark’s house coming up.

Johnny parks the car right in front of the driveway, and Donghyuck is ecstatic to see his best friend waiting by the front door, his mother right behind him. She waves at them from a distance before walking over, pushing her son forward by the shoulders.

“Look at you boys!” she exclaims, reaching into the car to pat Johnny on the head. Donghyuck snorts, opening the door to help Mark put his backpack in the trunk. “It’s good to see you, Hyuck!”

“Hi, Mrs. Lee!” the three of them greet her in unison, earning a laugh from both her and Mark. “Thank you for letting Mark come along with me,” he thanks her with a short bow, sliding Mark’s backpack off his shoulder and going around the car.

“He wouldn’t stop pestering me about it,” she says with a laugh, more to Johnny and Taeil than to Donghyuck himself, earning a bright blush from Mark as they open the trunk and toss his backpack inside. “I didn’t have much of a choice.”

“Plus,” she offers an open palm to Johnny, who takes it in his. “I knew there would be no problem if you two are letting Donghyuck go.”

“Thank you for trusting us,” Taeil thanks her from the passenger’s seat. “We’ll make sure to bring your son back in one piece!”

“You better!”

“I’ll be fine, mom!” Mark half-yells, quickly giving her a hug and urging Donghyuck to get back into the car.

“Be careful! Call me before bed!” she tells him just as he closes the door behind himself, quickly greeting the Moon-Seo family as he does. “Alright, you boys go on, so it doesn’t get too late.”

“See you on Sunday, Mrs. Lee,” Johnny reassures her with a firm squeeze on her hand and she lets go of him, waving her goodbye. They put their seatbelts on before Johnny or Taeil have the chance of saying anything, and before Donghyuck knows it they’re already on their way.

Camp is an hour away from the city, and so he spends the majority of the ride doing what he does best: bickering with his best friend over anything and everything. It is just friendly bicker and he is careful not to kick the back of his dads’ seats when he playfully kicks Mark on the shin, which earns him a middle finger he prays none of the adults can see through the mirror.

Not that they seem to care about what the both of them are doing, really, what with how they sing off the top of his lungs to every song that comes on the radio.

They are forty minutes into the ride when the urge to pee hits Donghyuck like a truck, two empty bottles of water forgotten under Taeil’s seat. He tries not to whine so much when their car go over yet another bump on the road because he knows they’re not too far away from the rest stop before camp, but it gets hard with every minute that passes.

It takes another five minutes until Johnny finally starts pulling the car into the parking lot of the stop, Donghyuck eagerly unbuckling his seatbelt and sitting on the edge of his seat as he does so.

“Please don’t pee on this seat,” Mark begs, scooting away from him and closer to the door. “We still have another twenty minutes to go.”

“You shut up,” he murmurs, crossing his legs in hopes it will lessen the pressure on his bladder. It doesn’t.

“Donghyuck,” Johnny’s tone of voice is a warning, but he doesn’t pay attention to it.

“I need to _pee,_” he whines, hand on the door handle as soon as the car starts coming to a stop. He is out as soon as Johnny pulls the hand brake, running as fast as he can towards the bathroom.

He is relieved to find it unoccupied, and even more so when he finally gets to pee and his bladder doesn’t feel like exploding anymore. He washes his hands and makes his way to the convenience store closer to where they were parked only to find Mark already there in the snacks aisle, his dads sitting at a table right outside waiting for them.

“Mark!” he calls out as soon as he is past the store’s door, drawing some attention from the adults to him. He tries not to mind them as Mark looks up at him, looking a little confused as to why he’s screaming. “Should we have some ramen?”

“Sure,” Donghyuck makes his way around and meets him at the noodles aisle, picking out a spicy squid flavored one for himself and a spicy chicken one for Mark, just like he knows the other likes. “Aren’t your dads gonna be mad to be left waiting, though?”

“Nah,” he nudges Mark on the shoulder with his own to get him going, “and if they do, they’ll surely come inside to call us.”

Donghyuck places their noodles in front of the hot water machine and slides them to Mark for him to take it from there, resting against the granite counter. It is then that he sees another two boys that seem to be around their age, a little off to the left from where they are standing, slurping on their own noodles.

Donghyuck doesn’t notice he is staring until the blonder one of the two turns around and catches him looking, strings of noodle still hanging from his mouth.

“Oh!” the boy exclaims, something akin to what Donghyuck thinks is recognition flashing across his face as he bites off his noodles and fully turns his body to face him. “Aren’t you Donghyuck?”

“Huh?” both him and the boy sitting beside him let out at the same time, the less-blonde-but-still-blonde boy turning around as well. He can feel Mark turn around to look at him, too, and suddenly he feels a little shy under all the attention.

“Seo Donghyuck!” he exclaims again, pointing his chopsticks at him. Donghyuck feels cornered, despite not being cornered at all. “From volleyball team!”

Donghyuck watches as the other boy cocks his head to the side, looking a little confused. “I thought he was from drama club?” he mumbles.

He can feel himself blush, scratching his arm as he tries to find the words in the mess that is his brain. The blonder one, the one closest to him, doesn’t really seem to mind his silence, offering him the biggest smile and his hand out.

“Ah,” he takes the hand in his, and the boy grips it tightly. “Do I… know you…?”

“I’m Lee Jeno!” he introduces himself, shaking Donghyuck’s hand excitedly. “Great game before summer break, you guys were amazing!”

“Thank you.”

Jeno is still shaking his hand, only now he is pointing at the other boy with the chopsticks still in his other hand. “This is my best friend!”

The boy offers his own hand out and Donghyuck struggles to free himself from Jeno’s hold but eventually succeeds on doing so. “Na Jaemin,” the other introduces himself, and Jeno adds before he can continue, “class president and resident cook!”

Jaemin’s handshake is a lot less aggressive than Jeno’s but still just as firm, his smile blinding when Donghyuck nods in acknowledgement.

“This is Mark,” Donghyuck turns to gesture at Mark, stepping to the side a little, and Mark waves politely at them. “He is my karma.”

Mark punches him hard on the arm, making him wince. “I should be the one saying that!” he pushes Donghyuck’s noodles to him, taking the lid off his own. “Nice to meet you, guys.”

“Where are you guys headed to?” Jaemin asks, settling back on his seat as Jeno busies himself with eating the rest of his own noodles.

“Summer camp!” Mark answers excitedly, and Donghyuck watches in amusement as Jeno chokes on his food. Jaemin hits him on the back several times, hard, and Mark hurries to get him a bottle of water. “Are you alright?!”

“Yeah!” Jeno answers between coughs, chugging half of the bottle in one go. “That’s cool, though! We’re going there too!”

“Really?” Donghyuck almost bites his tongue in surprise, trying not to choke on his noodles as well. “No way.”

“We go there, like,” Jaemin sets his empty container aside, snatching the water bottle off Jeno’s hand, “every summer since we were seven.”

“This is actually our first time going,” Donghyuck provides when Mark fails to supply such information, too busy trying to finish his food as fast as he can. It is a bad habit he has been trying to get Mark off of. “My parents wouldn’t really let me go before so, by extension, Mark’s parents didn’t either.”

“Cool,” it is Jeno’s turn to set his empty container aside. “That’s cool. You guys are gonna have the _best_ time, I know it.”

The store’s door chimes with a new customer walking in. They carry on with small talk but, before they can go any further, a voice he recognizes all too well booms across the store.

“Hyuck,” his father calls him out, and all four of them turn around to see Johnny standing by the counter. “It’s time to get going, buddy.”

They swallow the rest of their food before going back to the snacks aisle and grabbing a bunch of snacks, hurriedly going through the cashier and barely getting their bags before leaving the store. Jeno and Jaemin come out right after him, and Donghyuck notices a couple sitting two tables away from his dads who look too much like Jaemin.

He figures they are his parents.

“We’ll see you there, then?” Jaemin asks over his shoulder, handing his plastic bags to his dad who takes them with a smile.

“I hope so!” Mark quickens his step when he sees Taeil getting off his chair.

“See you!”

They bid their goodbyes and make their way back to the car, stuffing the black plastic bags between them in the back seat. It is only when they are buckled up and ready to go that Johnny turns in his seat to look at them, a fond smile on his face.

“Making new friends already?”

“I guess so,” Donghyuck replies with a smile of his own, tucking his feet under his body yet again.

“Did you really not know who Jeno is?” Mark nudges him with his toe and Donghyuck fake gags at him.

“How would I?” he pushes Mark’s foot away. “I don’t think I have any classes with him.”

“Dude, he’s like,” Mark’s eyes look like they’re gonna pop off their sockets, “gold medalist in taekwondo.”

“Oh,” Donghyuck rests his head against the window as they take off. “Well, that explains his death grip.”

The rest of the ride is a lot shorter than the first part and it consists pretty much of his dads reliving stories from his and Mark’s childhood with the sole purpose of embarrassing them to death. They mostly laugh it off and, by the time they make it to the camp, Donghyuck all but wants to jump off the car.

There are a lot of younger children and teens around their age coming in, parking their cars and unloading their trunks. He watches in awe as some of them pull out entire suitcases out of their cars and he suddenly doesn’t feel so bad for having a backpack as full as his own.

Johnny and Taeil watch as the two of them unload their backpacks and snack bags, leaving them to their own devices before they even leave. Donghyuck feels thankful for that, though he could definitely use an extra hand with those snacks. He decides to shove them all to Mark, who grunts out a complaint in return.

“Why is it always _me_ carrying your stuff?” Mark whines, struggling to throw his backpack over his shoulder.

“Because you’re older–”

“That’s why you should be carrying my stuff!”

“–and you love me.”

None of them turn around fast enough to see Johnny elbow Taeil on the ribs, but they do just in time to see Taeil wince. Donghyuck frowns at his dads but quickly shrugs it off, walking over to the front of the car to give them a hug.

“Behave,” Johnny warns, bringing him into a hug with a hand on the back of his neck. Donghyuck wraps his arms around his middle, giving him as firm of a hug as he can manage. He knows it isn’t easy for this father to leave him on the care of people he doesn’t know that much, so he promises him to be on his best behavior.

“Remember,” Taeil places a hand on his shoulder, turning Donghyuck to face him. “We’re just one phone call away.”

“Yes, I know, dad.”

“I know you do,” he gives his son a smile, “but it doesn’t hurt to remind you.”

Taeil pulls him into a bone-crushing hug, placing a kiss on the top of his head before letting go. When Donghyuck turns around to walk back to bark, he finds the boy standing right behind him. He looks like he wants to say something.

“Come here, Mark,” Johnny calls, outstretching his arms for another hug. Mark hurries into his embrace in familiar comfort. “Take care of my son, okay?”

“As if!” Donghyuck pulls Mark back by the straps of his backpack before he can linger in the hug, completely dragging him out before Taeil can get his turn. “Bye dad!”

“Bye!” the both of them yell as they walk away, Mark stumbling on his feet as he tries to turn around and face ahead. “Take care!”

They start running the second they see Jeno and Jaemin waving excitedly at them, their blond hair standing out amongst the crowd. They slow down to a jog and easily fall into step with them, wind blowing lightly against their skin.

“Did your brother come drop you off?” Jaemin gestures with his head towards the direction they just came from, and Donghyuck almost trips on his own feet.

“Huh?” he looks back in confusion, his dads still waving at them from a distance. He looks back at Jaemin, a frown between his brows. “Oh, no. They are my dads.”

Jaemin is the one who actually trips on himself, almost bringing Jeno down with him in the process. Donghyuck watches, amused, as his eyes bulge and his jaw hangs open in surprise. He is quick to recover from the initial shock, though, straightening himself as he begins to apologize profusely.

“I’m so sorry,” he looks flustered and Donghyuck tries not to laugh. “Oh my god, I just thought–”

“He’s so young?” Jeno adds, looking confused himself. “I mean, he looks young?”

“He’s thirty-four,” Donghyuck supplies, placing a hand on Jeno’s shoulder. “It’s okay to be shocked,” he looks at Jaemin with soft eyes, “you don’t need to apologize.”

“That’s–”

“Mr. Seo is really cool,” Mark interjects and Donghyuck feels grateful. He doesn’t think he is really to have the _I know my dad is too young_ talk just yet. “Him and Mr. Moon are the best, no joke.”

They walk towards the dorm area and into a bedroom for six, each picking their own beds. Donghyuck picks the bottom bunk from Mark’s bed, while Jeno picks the top one from Jaemin’s. He can see the two boys want to ask more question, want to pry into his life and it is understandable; it doesn’t make him any less grateful when they don’t, though.

They sit around for a while as they wait for the other kids to settle, small talk filling the space as they climb into their beds. Donghyuck places his feet under Mark’s mattress the moment he is settled, wriggling his toes in excitement.

“Hey Mark,” he applies the slightest of pressure on his feet. “Mark.”

“What?”

“Isn’t it exciting?” he kicks his feet, making Mark’s mattress bounce.

“Hyuck, what the fuck.”

He does it again. “Isn’t it?”

He can hear Jeno and Jaemin quietly laugh from their beds. “Will you stop? Why are you so annoying!”

“It’s exciting,” he kicks Mark’s mattress a third and final time. “To be away from our parents all weekend. Isn’t it exciting? Aren’t you excited?”

“Yes,” Mark’s head pops up over the edge of his bed. “Yes, I’m excited, but will you _quit_ kicking me?”

“You love me,” Donghyuck states jokingly, and when Mark retreats his body he doesn’t get to see the blush that spreads on his cheeks.

“Shut up.”

Donghyuck can hear the sound of wheels against hardwood floor coming from down the hallway outside, and it doesn’t take long for a body to burst through the door in a rather exaggerated fashion. The boy just stands there for a whole minute, staring off into the distance, sunglasses low on the bridge of his nose.

It looks comical and the four of them can’t help but stare.

“Are you done being a clown?” a different, slightly shorter boy comes up behind him and pushes him out of the way, making him stumble forward. “I swear to god.”

He walks over to the spare bunk bed with the other tailing after him, the both of them conversing in what Donghyuck thinks to be Chinese. He can understand some very basic words but not enough to make out full sentences, so he just waits for them to notice their presence in the room.

“Uhm, hi?” Mark calls out from the top bunk and Donghyuck can see his head pop over the frame again.

Both boys turn to look at him, as if noticing for the first time they weren’t alone in the room after all. The taller one of the two slides his sunglasses to the top of his head, shock written all over his face.

“Oh my god,” he walks a bit closer to them, as if not believing his eyes, “Lee Mark! Is this really you?”

Mark laughs awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment. Donghyuck snorts a laughter; he can’t get over how comical it is when Mark gets embarrassed.

“Yeah?” he laughs a little. “I think I am?”

“You _think_ you are?” Donghyuck mocks, kicking his bed once. Mark glares down at him. “Fuck’s sake, Mark.”

“Oh my god!” the boy rushes over, hand outstretched for Mark to take. “Lee Mark, star basketball player!” he shakes Mark’s hand furiously. “Liu Yangyang, I’m a big fan!”

“He’s a kid,” Donghyuck mutters, more to himself than to everyone else. Yangyang still hears him.

“He’s still the school’s best player, though I’m sure you know that.” Yangyang turns to him, hand out for him to take this time. Donghyuck does, and it surprises him how firm of a shake the boy gives him. “Donghyuck, right? Volleyball and drama?”

“Are we all from the same school?”

“Oh, definitely,” Yangyang’s smile is blinding. “The choir teacher and kids won’t shut up about how they wish we had you with us.”

“And you are…?” Jeno inquires from his own bed, eyeing the unnamed boy in the middle of the room.

“Huang Renjun,” he generally waves to the entire vicinity. “Visual arts, mostly painter.”

Yangyang turns to Jeno’s and Jaemin’s beds. He points to Jeno. “You must be Jeno, taekwondo gold medalist?” Jeno nods, smile reaching his eyes. He then points at Jaemin. “Jaemin, class president, makes really good cookies.” Jaemin looks a little terrified and both Donghyuck and Mark laugh. “Or so I’ve heard.”

“How come we don’t share classes together?”

Renjun flops down on his bed. “Yangyang and I have most of our schedule with the other Chinese kids and they don’t tend to overlap with others.” He heaves a sigh dramatically. “Though that sucks, because sometimes I wish I wasn’t stuck with this _pest_ all of the time.”

“You should consider getting into scenic arts,” Yangyang sits down next to him, a playful smile on his lips, “considering how dramatic you act.”

“I despise you.”

“That is a lie,” he’s still smiling. “You’re a great actor.”

“I would trade you for one corn chip.”

Yangyang shrugs. “Fair.”

Donghyuck rolls on his side, perching his head on his hand. “Is this your first time coming too?”

Both Renjun and Yangyang nod. “We came from China late last year,” Renjun informs as he kicks Yangyang off his bed. The boy falls to the floor with a loud thump and a pout. “Couldn’t be here for last summer. Parents figured they should get us out of the house for the weekend.”

The faint knock on the door gets the attention of all of them and they find an older looking boy standing on the doorway. By the shirt he is wearing they know he must be one of the monitors– red with a yellow bird embroidered on the chest. They all sit up, straightening their backs and trying the best to look proper.

“Hey, kids, it’s time to meet at the front hall for instructing. Come on.”

The boy doesn’t move until he is sure they are all up and on their way. The place is huge, and it takes them a hot minute to get to where they are supposed to be, and when they do the room is packed with people and already sweaty younger kids.

Donghyuck holds onto Mark’s forearm tightly, palms starting to sweat. Mark places a gentle hand on top of his. “You’re okay,” he whispers, low enough so the others wouldn’t hear. “In, then out.”

He breathes in and out, trying to get himself to relax. He nods, both to himself and to Mark. “I’m okay,” he quietly reassures himself. A reminder.

The rundown of the camp’s activities and rules take about half an hour, during which the six of them zone of for the most part of. Donghyuck absorbs most of the useful information but finds himself unable to focus on everything else, so he tries not to stress himself about it. Maybe each of them will hold onto different bits of information they can piece together later.

“Curfew is at ten,” the woman talking in front of the room informs, “so be sure to be back in your rooms by then. Camp monitors will make sure everyone is back by then, so do us all a favor and help us out by behaving.”

“But most importantly,” the man standing next to her says with a ridiculously big smile, “have fun! Now go ahead and enjoy your day under the sun!”

With three out of the six of them being athletes, one would certainly expect one of them to win when they race to the lake. None of them expect Yangyang, a very bony and certainly not athletic boy, to win– with a big gap between the rest of them at that.

They are still running as Yangyang pulls his shirt over his head and drops it by his sandals, jumping headfirst into the water. Donghyuck is wheezing by the time they stop– he makes a mental note to get back into sprinting on the track field at school– knees shaking as he gasps for air.

“What the fuck,” he wheezes, struggling to get his shirt off. “How do you _do_ that?”

“He has a brother,” Renjun explains, getting closer to the edge of the deck. Jeno follows him, and Donghyuck tries not to stare at how good of a shape he has. “You could say Yangyang is a troublemaker.”

“I am not!” he resurfaces and Donghyuck wonders how he was able to hear them underwater. Mark walks over to him and grabs him by the hand, smiling as he guides the two of them towards the deck as well. “Dejun does track, though. Can’t let myself get caught.”

Renjun jumps into the water– too close to Yangyang for comfort,– splashing water all over. The remaining four of them follow right after, one after another, and Donghyuck feels relief the moment warm water hits his body. Renjun pulls Yangyang into a headlock and watching the two of them bicker is the most amusing thing ever.

Getting the chance to chill around like this is definitely a once in a lifetime experience, Donghyuck thinks to himself as he chews on the inside of his cheeks. It feels good to make new friends– it has always been just him and Mark up until now.

It’s not because he didn’t want new friends, though. Things just get to tend a little bit complicated when people find out about his family, so he chooses not to put himself through the trouble.

Mark is nice and understanding as has been with him since day one. If all this doesn’t work out he will still be enough. He will always be more than enough.

“Hey,” Mark quietly calls him when Jeno starts fake drowning Jaemin. “You good?”

Donghyuck nods, clenching and unclenching his fists underwater. “Yeah. A bit scary, but–”

“They seem like nice people.”

Jaemin reaches up from underwater and drags Jeno down with him. Donghyuck laughs.

“Yeah,” he agrees. “I have a good feeling this time.”

Mark nods at that, giving him a thumbs up and an okay sign. He turns to the others. “Hey, did we bring a ball?”

“On it!” Yangyang calls out, swimming over to the deck and climbing up. He comes back not a minute later, volleyball in hands. “Will this do the job?”

Donghyuck’s eyes glisten at the sight of the white and blue ball in Yangyang’s hands. He immediately makes grabby hands at it and Yangyang doesn’t hesitate to throw it down to him before getting back in the water.

“Okay, so,” Mark snatches the ball off Donghyuck’s hand, making the younger frown. He tries to take it back but Mark doesn’t let him, pushing him away with a hand on his face. “We can play in teams of three, of course, _but!_ There is one condition.”

“Mark,” Donghyuck rolls his eyes, “you don’t have to give a full speech for a casual game of ball.”

Mark smiles dryly at him, giving him the middle finger right after. “Hyuckie’s scores will only be worth half a point.”

They all gasp. “What!”

“How is that fair!” Donghyuck whines, trying to snatch the ball off Mark again– to no avail.

“Of course it’s fair. You’re known for being a good volleyball player, it would be unfair for us mere mortals who don’t play volleyball at all.”

“You’re so annoying,” Donghyuck splashes water on him, heaving a sigh. “Fine! Whatever! Let’s play!”

They play for what feels like hours, and by the end of it the sun has already started to set and at least two of them has a bruising spot on their foreheads. Mark is mostly the one doing the complaining as they pull their bodies up on the deck and off the water.

“Well,” Donghyuck dries his hair off with his shirt, “next time don’t play against me, then!”

“You could’ve broken my nose with that ball!”

“A real tragedy that I didn’t.”

“Guys– _ow!_” Jeno cries as Jaemin nurses the bruise on his head, flinching the more Jaemin presses his finger against the sensitive spot. “The bonfire– for fuck’s sake this hurts– should be starting soon. It is literally all the way on the other side so we should get going.”

They try their best to hurry the entire process of drying themselves and slipping into clean clothes, though it seems kind of impossible with how crowded the bathroom is. It has been a long time since Donghyuck felt this kind of adrenaline, of being around people who genuinely seem to want to be around him as well.

Mark seems to catch him thinking off to the side on their bunk bed, just like he always does every time it happens. He wouldn’t expect any less– Mark knows him best.

He sits on Donghyuck’s bed, a knowing look on his face. “Penny for your thoughts?”

“Get off my bed,” Mark doesn’t. Donghyuck slips a clean shirt on. “It’s nice, you know.”

“It’s not like you don’t have friends beside me, Hyuck.”

“It is, though.” Mark gives him a look. “Listen, my teammates aren’t exactly my friends. They treat me decently enough because I’m a good player, but it’s not the same as… this.” He gestures to the other boys getting ready. “It doesn’t feel the same.”

Mark nods. “Does that scare you?”

“It’s terrifying. I don’t want things to go wrong.”

“They won’t.” Mark gets up, a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Comfort. “I’m always there to catch you.”

Donghyuck gives him a small smile. “Thanks.”

A knock on the door brings them back to reality. A girl with long, blonde hair tied into a ponytail stands on their doorway, the shirt signaling her as a camp monitor.

“Snacks for the bonfire are being handed out,” she informs. “We need everyone outside in ten minutes.”

“We’ll be there!” Jeno calls as he tries to pull his shirt past his head. The girl leaves shortly after, and Jaemin bursts out laughing when Jeno gets his head stuck on the collar of his tee. “Can you stop laughing and help me?”

Jaemin does help him, though he doesn’t stop laughing until Jeno has his shirt properly on and is decking him to the floor. Though Donghyuck doesn’t think Jaemin has any training in martial arts, he easily wrestles Jeno off his body, pining him to the floor.

“Don’t try to use your fighting skills on your best friend, Lee.” Donghyuck can see a sick smile on his lips. “You know I can defend myself.”

Donghyuck watches, amused, as silence thickens between them, red coloring Jeno’s cheeks and ears. He pushes Jaemin to the side and off him, dusting off his clothes as he gets back on his feet.

“We should go,” Jeno says quietly, and Donghyuck can’t understand why the atmosphere suddenly got so weird.

It is none of his business, he figures.

The monitors are waiting them with baskets of snacks, handing one to each group of kids and teens that walk past them on their way to the bonfire site. It is heavy and they seem to have prepared a lot for the evening, and Donghyuck hopes they have the right ingredients to make something he has been craving for a while now.

They pick a spot on the far left, away from most people. There are blankets on top of the logs and Donghyuck feels grateful; he doesn’t know if it is because they just spent the entire day at the lake, but it is starting to get pretty chilly and he could use some extra warmth.

“Hey,” Donghyuck takes his place between Mark and Jaemin, wrapping the blanket around himself. “Have you guys ever had s’mores?” the rest of them shake their heads. “My dad says it’s, like, an American treat? Or something like that. You get your marshmallow,” he reaches into their stash of campfire food for one, poking his stick through it, “then you warm it up with some fire.”

They watch as he does just so, and also as he completely burns it. He acts like it didn’t happen.

“Then you place it between two crackers and a piece of chocolate.” He gets two crackers and a piece off his chocolate bar, watching in satisfaction as the chocolate melts almost instantly. He pulls the stick out and presents the finished product, a smile on his lips. “Here, try it.”

Donghyuck places the s’more against Mark’s lips, opening his own mouth to signal him to open up. He does, an embarrassed look on his face, and Donghyuck laughs as he shoves half the thing into Mark’s mouth.

Mark’s eyes get impossibly big. “This is so good! What the fuck!”

Donghyuck smiles proudly. “I’ll tell my dads to make some for the next barbecue we have. Oh!” He turns on his seat to look at the others. “You guys should come too!”

“That would be awesome!” Mark almost jumps in his seat. “The Moon-Seos throw, like, _the_ _best_ barbecue parties ever!”

“Uhm, Hyuck,” Yangyang raises his hand, as if asking permission to talk. They all turn their attention to him and Yangyang blushes under their attentive eyes. “Can I ask something?”

Donghyuck’s guts twist. He know what this is about. He knew it was coming. When he nods, he braces himself for the worst.

“Did you– did you just say dad_s?_ Like, plural?”

He can feel the familiar sting behind his lids when the attention suddenly turns to him. Mark places a hand on his knee, grip firm, and Donghyuck’s eyes drop to his lap. He is silent for a minute, trying not to cry.

“Yes,” he is quiet when he speaks. “Yeah, I did.”

“That’s–”

“So cool!” Jeno interjects, jaw dropping to the floor. “Like, holy s– are you serious?”

Donghyuck shoves a marshmallow into his mouth so he doesn’t have to speak. He doesn’t think he would be able to even if he tried. He nods, still not quite looking at them, but their gasping is audible and Mark’s grip on him gets just a little tighter.

“Okay, wait,” Renjun reaches for a marshmallow of his own, poking it with his stick. “I have so many questions.”

“Renjun–”

“So cool,” Jaemin parrots Jeno, leaning forward. “Your dad is so young, though!”

“Are you adopted?”

“Renjun!” Yangyang punches him hard on the arm, nearly knocking him to the floor. Donghyuck tries not to laugh. “Don’t be insensitive.”

“No,” Donghyuck answers, holding onto Mark’s hand for support. He needs it more than ever. “I’m– Johnny is– my biological father.”

“Wait,” Jeno raises his hand and Donghyuck nods, signaling him to keep going. “So that means he–”

Donghyuck nods again. “Had me at nineteen. And my other dad–” he pauses, takes a deep breath. He can feel his hands starting to sweat. Mark squeezes his hand reassuringly. “My other dad– Taeil– he’s been there since I can remember.”

“Are you– are you guys okay– with it?” Mark’s voice is shaking more than Donghyuck’s when he speaks. Donghyuck doesn’t blame him; Mark is always there to witness when things fall apart.

The four boys look at each other, then back at the two of them.

“Why would we not be?” Jaemin cocks his head to the side. “Is there a reason not to?”

“I mean–”

“Excuse me,” Renjun interrupts. “There are only two people in this group who could possibly be straight, and those are Mister Legally Blond right here and Mister Basketball Star right there. So, if you’re about to offend me and call me a het, do us all a favor and save yourself the trouble.”

“I’m–”

“I’m not straight–” Jeno looks almost offended when he speaks. The expression on Jaemin’s face goes from amused to utterly surprised. Jeno turns to him, mirroring his expression. “Wait– you know this, don’t you?”

“You never–”

“But you knew, didn’t you?”

“Yes, but–” Jaemin places a hand on his shoulder. “You never said it out loud.”

Donghyuck belatedly notices they are all holding their breaths.

“If it makes you feel any better,” Donghyuck draws the attention back to himself; he doesn’t feel as tense now. “Mark isn’t straight either, so.”

Renjun shoves another three marshmallows into his mouth, looking deep in thought. “Interesting,” he manages to get out, munching on his treat.

It feels like he can breathe again.

“Thanks, guys,” he says quietly, resting his weight against Mark’s body. “This is, like, the first time this happens.”

Yangyang shoves a freshly made s’more into his mouth. “What do you mean?”

“This,” he gestures vaguely to them. “Acceptance. It doesn’t usually happen when people ask about my family. Or myself. You know, parents don’t really want their kids playing with a boy with two fathers.”

“Which is really fucked up,” Mark adds. “Your dads are the coolest people I know, and my mom says they suffered a lot when we were little.”

Donghyuck looks up at him. “Does she?”

Mark nods. “Every time you guys come over. When you leave, she’ll sit at the table and talk about how strong they are, to go through what they did and still manage to come out of it being the greatest parents possible.”

“I think it’s pretty rad,” Yangyang adds with a nod, which seems to be more to himself than at them. “Considering _we_ suffer for being who we are and it’s been, like, over a decade? Since…”

“They must’ve been through a lot,” Renjun agrees.

“They did,” Donghyuck says. “I’m happy they raised me to be who I am right now. Wouldn’t want it any other way.”

“I have another question,” Jeno raises his hand again. “If you don’t mind answering.”

“Go on.”

“Do you know who your mom is?”

Donghyuck shakes his head, unbothered. “Dad said she didn’t want to keep me because they were both too young, so I don’t think it matters who she is. At least it doesn’t to me.”

They’re silent after that, and even though Donghyuck’s heart is beating like crazy, for the first time he doesn’t feel anxious. He didn’t think things would go this way, not in a million years. As he rests his head on Mark’s shoulder, things feel right.

He doesn’t know how much time passes; there is someone in the background playing an acoustic guitar and singing to a song he can’t bother to recognize. He knows it is something that is constantly playing on the radio by the way Mark hums along to the song.

They’re chatting and eating and laughing so much and everything just feels _so right_ and in place Donghyuck can’t help but wonder how they haven’t met before. Maybe it is good that life made them cross paths only now rather than before. Had they met before, maybe things would have gone so much differently than it did now.

He doesn't let those thoughts linger; thinking about the what ifs will do nothing for him, not when things are going so well now. The tune of the guitar almost lulls him to sleep, wasn't for Yangyang's loud laughter in the background and Renjun's constant bickering with him.

It's nice. To feel like you finally belong is nice.

Mark rests his cheek on the top of his head, and Donghyuck finally feels his body relax under him. He wishes Mark wouldn't have to feel so uneasy whenever _he _himself feels like that, but he knows it's not really something he can help. Mark has seen him at his best and his worse, has been his best friend for the past twelve years; it is only natural that he feels bad whenever Donghyuck does.

And it is just the same the other way around, they both know that. Donghyuck can still remember the day he found Mark being cornered by some older kids in the cafeteria when they were fifth grade, can remember the way he kicked them on the shins all while grabbing Mark by the front of his ugly uniform's knit vest and running for his life.

He remembers Mark being on the verge of tears, and he doesn't want to see his best friend like that ever again.

It is hours later, when the music is no longer playing and the fire has long run out that they find themselves walking back to their room, Jaemin and Renjun nearly falling asleep on their feet. Donghyuck isn't far behind, eyelids heavy as he tries to keep himself awake long enough to make it to his bed.

The mattress isn't the most comfortable he has ever rested on but considering how tired he is, he knows it will do just fine. It is noisy as each one of them settle into their beds but it doesn't really last long. Fatigue and sleep catch up to them pretty soon and, before Donghyuck even has the chance to say goodnight, light snores start filling up the room.

The last thing he remembers thinking before falling asleep is how bad he wants this to last. He doesn't know for how long, but he knows he will do everything he can to make it last.

It is far too early in the morning when sunshine hits Donghyuck in the face and stirs him awake. He knows it is some ungodly hour in the morning when he notices Mark is still fast asleep in his top bunk; Mark is always the first one out of the two of them to wake up, no matter where they are.

"Mark," he tries calling out, his voice barely a whisper. "Are you awake?"

There is shuffling coming from the bed above, but Mark doesn't answer.

"Mark," he tries again, a little louder.

Mark groans and Donghyuck knows he's awake. When he speaks, his voice is thick with sleep. "Hyuckie, go back to bed."

"I am in bed," Mark groans again. "I can't go back to sleep."

"Hyuck."

More shuffling come from the other beds and Donghyuck bites the insides of his cheeks.

"Who the _fuck_ is being loud this early in the morning?" Jaemin groans, sitting up in his bed.

"Sorry," Donghyuck loudly whispers, sinking deeper under his blanket, "I can't sleep."

It is pretty much domino effect from then on, the others also stirring awake and cursing under their breaths. Donghyuck has the decency to feel kind of guilty, apologizing every time someone else wakes up.

It is barely half past six when all six of them are sitting awake in their beds, scrolling through their phones. Donghyuck sends a text to his dads, letting them know that everything is fine and that he has survived the first night, if only to let them breathe a little easier.

He briefly mentions making new friends, though he doesn't go much into details. He can tell them about it once they're back home.

Breakfast is uneventful and almost boring, save for the one kid who threatens to start a food fight not even two tables away from them. Donghyuck is glad he doesn't, because it would be a waste of good food and clean clothes.

"So," Mark says, picking his bread apart. "What do you guys wanna do today?"

"Can we go kayaking?" Donghyuck asks, hoping they will say yes.

"Oh, that should be fun!" Donghyuck loves how energetic Yangyang is all the time.

"I really wanna go biking around camp," Jeno says. "The scenery is quite beautiful.

"We can go kayaking now and go biking after lunch," Renjun offers. "Because then we can do both!"

"Points have been made," Mark agrees, shoving another piece of bread into his mouth. "Anyone else?"

No one says anything and Mark takes their silence as an answer.

"Great! We can finish eating and go to the lake then."

It is nicer outside than it was the morning before. Maybe it is because it is earlier than when they got there, but Donghyuck doesn't think much of it. He races Yangyang to the lake again, not thinking he would lose a second time.

He does lose, though, much to his dismay. Renjun doubles over laughing when Donghyuck collapses to the ground, extremely out of breath from trying to catch up with Yangyang.

"You can't compete with the devil," Renjun says as he walks past him as towards the life vests.

"Are you calling _me _the devil?" Yangyang asks, sounding offended.

"Yes."

"Nice."

"Yangyang, did you train for tracks with your brother back in China?" Jeno asks as he offers Donghyuck a helping hand. He gladly takes it.

"Oh," he looks up from where he is closing his vest. "Yeah. My mother wanted the both of us to be athletes."

"How did that go?" Mark asks.

"Well," Yangyang's smile is kind of cute. "I'm not in any spots team, am I? It wasn't for me. I like playing the violin more than I like running, so I told her I was joining choir."

"She was devastated," Renjun adds, throwing the spare vests to Donghyuck and Jeno.

Yangyang laughs. "That isn't exactly the word, but she was pretty upset back then. She loves watching me play, though, so I think things turned out pretty okay."

They each grab a kayak and drag it towards the margin of the lake, careful to get in without sending in straight into the water. Donghyuck has the most fun watching Mark get into his and almost fall right after.

"Okay, so," Mark is nearly panting when he speaks, paddling a little further into the water. "I don't know how big this lake is, so I think we should try to go as far as we can without, like, losing track of time."

"It's not too big," Jaemin tells them, paddling closer to Jeno. The two of them take the leading. "It shouldn't take us too long to reach the other end, though I do agree we shouldn't lose track of time."

Paddling across the lake is a mess and Donghyuck doesn't know why he expected any less. Jeno and Jaemin are clearly the only ones who seem to know what they are doing– they probably _are_ the only ones who know what they are doing.

Donghyuck didn't remember kayaking being so hard– maybe because the last time he did go kayaking was when he was eight and his father was with him in the kayak. Either way, balancing is hard and even more so when you have to watch your friends nearly fall into the water just as often as you do.

Renjun is the most decent one between the four bad ones of them, though he still loses his balance every now and then. He speeds up, trying to catch up with Jaemin and Jeno, leaving him, Mark and Yangyang behind. Donghyuck wonders how competitive Renjun actually is.

He doesn't try to speed up, would rather not fall in the water while trying to do so. The weather is nice, and the shades of the trees keep them from burning under the sun.

A scream snaps him out of his mild trance, and Mark's high-pitched laughter follows the scream right after. Donghyuck looks up just in time to see Renjun hitting Jeno's kayak with his paddle, clearly trying to push him off.

They go still for a moment, laughing as Jaemin joins in on trying to make Jeno lose his balance. Jeno screams even louder, clearly annoyed at the betrayal of his best friend, trying to hit both kayaks with the ends of his paddle.

He pushes Renjun right on the chest, sending him over his kayak and into the water. Yangyang goes hysterical, laughing so hard his eyes start to water. Jeno pushes Jaemin off right after and they absolutely lose it when he resurfaces, cursing at Jeno so loud a handful of birds fly off the trees.

They paddle over to help when Jeno doesn't make a move to do so, unable to contain their laughter as they reach for the bodies drenched in water. They almost pull Donghyuck and Mark down in the process, but they manage to stay safe and mostly dry by the time the other two are back into their kayaks.

The rest of the ride goes on pretty smoothly, save for Yangyang splashing water on everyone and Mark joining him on tormenting the hell out of everyone else. It is chaotic but fun, and when they start making their way back they're paddling a lot better than they were when they started.

Jeno and Jaemin let the others take the lead this time, hanging back and chatting as everyone else goes on ahead. Donghyuck doesn't try to make out what they're saying– his dads taught him eavesdropping isn't nice.

The rest of the day goes by in a blur of green and bikes running up and down hills, laughter being blown away with the wind. Donghyuck falls off his bike while going down a hill at some point, scraping his knee and elbow pretty badly and sending Renjun into instant panic.

He reassures Renjun that he will be fine, though they should definitely head back so he can take proper care of his cuts. Mark helps him with the first aid– while going on a rant on how that one class his mother gave them years ago ended up coming in handy multiple times, to which Donghyuck reminds him he can’t remember any of it.

“Motherfucker,” Donghyuck grits out when Mark rubs hydrogen peroxide on the wounds, nearly punching him in the face.

“Be a little less reckless next time.”

“Mark,” Renjun sounds concerned, “you can’t blame him for an accident.”

“Oh, I can.” Donghyuck knows what’s coming. “This stupid fucker nearly broke his feet while jumping off a tree. _Both._ You’d think he’d learn to be more careful, but did he ever?”

“Doesn’t seem like it,” Jaemin says with a laugh and all Donghyuck can offer is a smile and a peace sign.

“Stupid fucking bitch,” Mark mutters under his breath, finishing up his work. Donghyuck loves the annoyed look on his face when Mark looks up at him. “Are you happy?”

Donghyuck grabs his face with a hand, forcing Mark’s lips to purse. He purses his own as well. “What would I do without you, dear?”

“Die, probably.”

“Guys,” Yangyang calls from his bed, “do you think we have enough time for a nap before the bonfire?”

Jeno checks his phone for the time. “I think so.”

“Great! See you!”

The rest of them quietly settle into their beds, the only noise to be heard being the ceiling fans blasting on maximum. It isn’t long until they’re locking their phones and putting them away, sleep luring them in like a spell. The only thing Donghyuck has time to think about is how bad his knee hurts.

“Are we meeting again?” Renjun asks as they settle around the bonfire, blanket thrown over his and Yangyang’s legs. “Like, after this weekend is over. Are we meeting again?”

“We should,” Jeno says with a nod.

“We study on the same school,” Jaemin adds, “it shouldn’t be hard for us to meet, right?”

“Plus, Yangyang seemed to know all of us somehow,” Mark says. “So, if he knows where to find us it shouldn’t be hard at all.”

“That’s true, but,” Yangyang sits closer to Renjun so they can hear him better, “we still don’t have classes together. It’s not like we have much spare time between classes.”

“What if,” everyone looks at Donghyuck when he speaks, “we create a club?”

Mark looks at him funny. “Huh?”

“I think we have a club for everything, though?” Jaemin says.

“It doesn’t have to be anything too serious,” Donghyuck explains. “We can have a spine for it so the principal will, like, let us do it. Maybe do some events every once in a while, a fundraising or something. I don’t know, we can think of something. But most importantly,” he raises a finger, “it should be a place where we can be ourselves.”

For a moment, there is only silence. They seem to be taking his words into consideration. Yangyang is the one to break the silence.

“So, like… a queer club?”

“That’s perfect!” Donghyuck almost jumps in his seat. “I mean, the name fits perfectly, and it would be a safe space for us. What do you guys think?”

“The idea is good, but,” Mark sounds hesitant, “I don’t think we’ll have permission from the principal to do that.”

“I mean,” Jeno cuts in, “Nana is class president, I’m sure the principal won’t he able to say no to him. He adores him.”

They turn to Jaemin, expectant looks on their faces. Jaemin looks taken aback.

“Uh, I mean, I can _try._ I don’t think it hurts to try.”

Donghyuck shoves a marshmallow into his mouth. “Perfect! This is the official birth of Queer Club.”

_“Unofficial,”_ Mark corrects. Donghyuck brushes him off.

“Don’t be a party pooper, Mark. Let us rejoice.”

When Sunday morning comes and they start packing their bags, Donghyuck thought he would feel sad that the weekend is coming to an end. Instead, his heart feels light and he feels ridiculously _happy_.

His phone rings at around eight, his father’s picture flashing on the screen.

“Hey dad.”

_“Did I wake you?”_ by the echoing in his voice he knows they’re already on their way.

“No, we’ve been up for a while now. Are you coming?”

_“We just left,”_ Taeil says, confirming they’re on the car’s Bluetooth system. _“Are you done packing up?”_

“Almost,” he shoves another shirt into his backpack. He doesn’t think it is going to close. “Mark’s ready to go, though.”

Mark gives him a thumbs up. Johnny laughs. _“Of course he is.”_

_“Go finish packing, we’ll be there soon.”_

Donghyuck hums. “Okay, bye dad.”

_“Bye,”_ they both answer before hanging up.

“Are they coming?” Mark asks. Donghyuck nods, picking up the rest of his belongings and trying to shove them into his backpack. It is definitely not going to close.

Jaemin approaches them, followed closely by Jeno.

“Hey, we’ve got to go.” Donghyuck notices he looks kind of sad. “Our parents are waiting outside.”

Jeno surprises him by pulling him into a tight hug. Donghyuck notices his shallowly he breathes.

“Hey, we’re gonna meet again.” Donghyuck reminds him. He doesn’t know what’s gotten to him, though he figures Jeno will tell them if he wants to.

He doesn’t.

“I know,” he nods, hugging Mark instead. “Thank you, guys. For such a great weekend.”

“We’ll make a group chat,” Mark says, “so we can stay in touch until classes start again.”

“Alright,” Jaemin quickly hugs them as well. “We’ll see you around!”

Renjun and Yangyang leave shortly after, big smiles on their faces and a promise of seeing each other again. Donghyuck and Mark don’t linger in the room, rather grab their stuff and make their way to the entrance so they can wait for Donghyuck’s dads.

They mess around for about half an hour before they arrive, and when they do, Donghyuck quickly rushes to the car. Tiredness is starting to settle in, eyes watering with sleep. He doesn’t talk much for most of the ride, Mark doing the talking instead, doing a rundown of the things they were up to since they last saw them on Friday.

Donghyuck rests his head on Mark’s shoulder, letting the conversation and background music lull him into a short nap. Mark doesn’t try to move him off; instead, he settles into a more comfortable position for Donghyuck to rest on.

Even in his half-asleep state, Donghyuck feels grateful.

Mark places a hand on Donghyuck’s knee, fingers brushing against Donghyuck’s.

“The boys are pretty awesome,” he finishes off, nodding to Taeil, who has turned on his seat to look back at them. “We’ll surely be meeting again.”

“Oh?” he sounds surprised. Mark doesn’t blame him. “Did you make plans?”

Mark nods, a wide smile on his face.

“We’re creating the Queer Club.”

**Author's Note:**

> so i'm like crying?? i love them  
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